Quincy takes a look at bicycling patterns on busy roads

The city’s planning department and Quincycles, a community group, teamed up last week to count the number of bicyclists using some busy stretches of roads during peak hours. They also made other observations, including helmet use and adherence to biking laws.

By Patrick Ronan

The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

By Patrick Ronan

Posted Sep. 17, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Sep 17, 2013 at 5:04 PM

By Patrick Ronan

Posted Sep. 17, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Sep 17, 2013 at 5:04 PM

QUINCY

» Social News

The city recently took a sampling of local cyclist behavior as it plans to create its first-ever designated bike lanes.

The city’s planning department and Quincycles, a community group, teamed up last week to count the number of bicyclists using some busy stretches of roads during peak hours. They also made other observations, including helmet use and adherence to biking laws.

Kristina Johnson, Quincy’s director of transportation planning, said the city’s Adams Green proposal – part of the $1.6 billion downtown redevelopment project – will include the city’s first-ever bike lanes. The first phase of Adams Green is expected to start this fall.

“A lot of folks not wearing helmets. A lot of folks riding on sidewalks, which is not a good thing,” said Johnson.

The Quincy study was an extension of the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization's regionwide bicycle count. Johnson said the data can be used to help shape future infrastructure planning and for public education.

There were 27 accidents involving bicycles in Quincy last year, a four-year high.

This past Saturday, one counter observed 19 of 29 cyclists riding on the pedestrian-heavy sidewalks along Quincy Shore Drive in Wollaston. Although bicyclists are legally required to use the road in that area, the Rev. Nathan Pipho, a co-founder of Quincycles, said many people feel it’s too risky to ride along Quincy Shore Drive.

“We’re not quite sure where to direct people,” Pipho said. “The appropriate place would be the road, but the speed limits along Quincy Shore Drive are high and it could be dangerous.”

Last Tuesday, a counter said most bicyclists were illegally riding on downtown sidewalks at the corner of Hancock Street and Washington Street. More than half the bicyclists were traveling against traffic, which is not allowed.

On the Neponset Bridge, the busy road connecting Quincy and Dorchester, about half of the bicyclists were not wearing helmets. Many riders on Quincy Shore Drive also weren’t wearing helmets, the report said.

However, Pipho said he was pleased that all of the cyclists on the Neponset Bridge used the sidewalks. The city has installed a sign asking cyclists to use the bridge’s sidewalk for safety reasons.